Warriors: Journey for StarClan
by Shella DragoNoid
Summary: A Great War has erupted in the forest, and the Clans are at each other's throats. StarClan, displeased with the fighting, have denied access to StarClan to a group of cats who died in the fighting. The only way for them to reach the Gates of StarClan is to embark on a dangerous journey to prove that the can work and live together in peace no matter where they came from.
1. Chapter 1

**Warriors: Journey for StarClan**

**Shella**

**Chapter One**

The young tortoiseshell she-cat blinked open her eyes. She was lying on her side on a cold, hard, white floor. _Where am I? _She thought, rolling onto her stomach and looking around her. She was lying in a white room; the edges to the room were hazy, almost like she wasn't in a solid room. She blinked her bright emerald eyes and looked next to her. There were dozens of cats lying scattered all around the room. The tortoiseshell recognized the cat next to her. It was a russet-colored cat lying on her side. She shook her head and studied the other cat. She couldn't think of her name. Then it came to her. "Russetglow? Russetglow, is that you?" The tortoiseshell asked.

The russet cat didn't move. "She can't hear you." A tom's voice responded from behind her. "You must be Willowstalker."

Willowstalker jumped to her feet and turned to face the voice. Standing beside her was a large, orange tom with golden eyes. He was standing on stairs coming from the ceiling; the stairs were almost transparent. "That's my name. Who are you?"

"My name's Tigerbelly." The tom responded, finishing his climb down the stairs. He came to stop in front of her on the flat ground. "I am the messenger for the ancestors." Tigerbelly looked around. "Hmm; I thought they'd be awake by now."

"Wait, what do you mean you're the messenger for the ancestors? Where are we?" Willowstalker asked.

"Oh, you don't know?" Tigerbelly asked with an embarrassed look on his face. "You might want to sit down. I don't need you fainting on me. You're supposed to be awake now, not still out cold." The tom went down to his stomach and stretched his paws out in front of him. Willowstalker followed his example. "Well, as you know, the Clans are currently fighting in the Great War for the Forest. And you were fighting on ThunderClan's side."

"I'd hope so. I'm a ThunderClan warrior."

"Correction," Tigerbelly smiled sheepishly. "You _were _a ThunderClan warrior. You see, the point I'm trying to make is, everyone that's here, everyone including you, is dead."

"Excuse me?" Willowstalker scoffed. "You're joking, right?"

"No," Tigerbelly responded. "I'm not. You fought valiantly, by the way. However, you were on the wrong side."

"On the wrong side?! ShadowClan attacked my home!"

"You misunderstand. You see, you were all on the wrong side. There was no right side in this war. Everyone has done wrong. ShadowClan had no right to take control of RiverClan and WindClan, and ThunderClan had no right to allow rouges and loners into their camp."

"We had no choice! If we hadn't done that, ShadowClan's armies would've destroyed us!" Willowstalker retorted with fear in her voice.

Tigerbelly shook his head sadly. "I will explain everything once everyone else has woken from the Death Sleep."

Willowstalker looked down at her paws. Something was wrong here. If they really were all dead, why weren't the standing in front of the Gates of StarClan? Soon, the rest of the cats lying around the white room began to stir. They were waking up, confused. In moments, the room was filled with shouts and cries of fear. Everyone knew something was wrong, but they didn't know what.

Tigerbelly climbed to his paws and looked around; making sure every cat was awake. He cleared his voice and called, "Quiet down, please! My name is Tigerbelly, and I'm here to explain everything to you!" Though he didn't shout, his voice carried and had the power of authority in it. Every cat in the room fell silent and turned to look at Tigerbelly. "As you are all well aware, a Great War has torn the forest apart. Each of you have taken part in that war. Each of you have fought for a side. And each of you died in battle."

Shouts filled the room again. Tigerbelly waited a moment before ordering for silence once again. "Because of the part each of you have played in this atrocious war, our ancestors have come to a decision. They have decided that, due to your actions, you will not be allowed to enter StarClan and join your honored ancestors there." The shouts rose up again, and without waiting for silence, Tigerbelly continued. "They have come to this decision because all cats in StarClan must be able to live in peace with one another, no matter which Clan they came from. During your time in your Clans, you have all proved than you are not capable of this."

"Does this mean we'll never get to see the Gates of StarClan?" A tom's voice asked frantically over the shouting.

"No," Tigerbelly responded. A collective sigh went up from the gathered cats. "Your ancestors have come to another decision. They know that most of you didn't have a choice in the fight, but they still need to know that you can live together in harmony once you reach the Gates. For this to happen, they have devised a test. All of you will have to work together to reach the Gates by going through a series of tests set up along a trail. It is a journey to the Gates of StarClan that you must embark on.

"The journey will be dangerous. I have been told to warn you that there will be times where some of you will not be able to go on. Those of you that fail to finish the journey will fade away. You will be remembered back in the Clans, but you will not receive a place in StarClan. I can only wish you all the best of luck, and hope to see you all at the Gates."

With that, Tigerbelly turned and began heading towards the staircase he had come down. "Wait!" A rough voice called after him. "Can't you give us any more information?!"

Tigerbelly didn't turn, or even stop walking. "I've given you all of the information I've been permitted to give." The stairs disappeared as he continued up them. "The rest is up to you."

With that, Tigerbelly was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

The cats in the room were silent for a few moments, but after those moments were up, panic ensued. A few cats jumped to the center of the room and tried to propose ideas of what they were to do next. Willowstalker watched each of them, every time becoming less and less impressed with the ideas presented. The worst idea was presented by a jet black tom with coal black eyes, most likely from ShadowClan. "This is obviously just some kind of sick joke," the tom said, his voice deep and raspy. "I think we should just wait here for those in StarClan to realize we're not going to fall for it."

Willowstalker shook her head. "I don't think that's such a good idea,"

The tom rounded on her, an evil glare in his eyes. "And what makes you think that?"

"Well," Willowstalker came to the center of the room and stood facing the tom, not backing down from his glower. "If you think about it logically, StarClan has very good reason to be mad at all of us for taking part in the Great War. ShadowClan invaded WindClan, and took over their camp, killing their leader, deputy, and anyone else who got in their way. WindClan joined forces with ShadowClan, though not necessarily by their choice, and attacked RiverClan. The same thing happened there as it did in WindClan. Finally, ShadowClan and its army turned on ThunderClan, but we weren't going to give in as easily. We looked to the loners and rogues for help, and, in return, we gave them food and shelter. We each broke the Warrior Code in one way or another, so why wouldn't StarClan want to punish us?"

"What is your name, warrior?" The ShadowClan cat hissed.

"Willowstalker," Willowstalker responded, unflinching under the warrior's gaze.

"Well, Willowstalker, since you seem to think they really are denying us access to StarClan, what do you think we should do?"

"All of you that have given an idea have been saying the same thing over and over again. Ask and maybe they'll forgive. Then, this warrior…"

"Brackenpetal," the warrior hissed.

"Then Brackenpetal here gets the genius idea of just sitting here and waiting. If what Tigerbelly said is true about those of us being unable to finish the journey fading away, then that's what will happen to all of us if we just sit here." Willowstalker said matter-of-factly.

"So you think we should attempt the journey?" Another warrior, a tom with pepper-colored fur, asked.

"I do; I think it's the only way we'll ever see the Gates of StarClan. And it's better than just sitting here and waiting to see if it was a joke or if we really will fade away." Willowstalker turned to face Brackenpetal. "Of course, if you want to stay and see what happens, I'm not going to force you to come with us."

Brackenpetal tensed and look as if he wanted nothing more than to pounce on Willowstalker. The same warrior who had asked about her attempting the journey stepped between them, preventing him from trying anything. "If we're going to do this, we need to figure out who's here from which Clan. After that, we should set up some kind of leader system."

"What do you mean?" Willowstalker asked.

"Well, once we know how many cats are from each Clan, they'll look for someone to act as a leader. So, we should have one cat from each of the Clans step up to lead them, so they have someone to look to. That way we have some kind of order."

"I understand." Willowstalker nodded. "What Clan are you from?"

"I am Shrewriver of WindClan," the tom responded.

"Alright, Shrewriver, I want you to get a tally of how many cats are here from your Clan." Willowstalker turned to Brackenpetal. "Can you get a tally of cats that are from ShadowClan?"

"How did you know I was from ShadowClan?" Brackenpetal hissed.

_You're attitude. _Willowstalker thought. "Your fur color. Only ShadowClan warriors have fur that dark." She said out loud.

"I'll figure out how many are here."

"Alright…now I need a RiverClan warrior to figure out how many cats are from their Clan…"

"I can handle that," a she-cat with sandy brown fur said. "My name is Sagemoon. I'll get you RiverClan's numbers and names, if you want them."

"That sounds perfect," Willowstalker said. "Thank you, Sagemoon,"

Willowstalker turned from the she-cat and faced the other cats gathered. "I need all ThunderClan warriors over this way! We're getting a tally, and then heading out!"

A chunk of cats headed over to Willowstalker and followed her to a corner of the room. She did a quick headcount of how many of the warriors were there. _So many good warriors have been killed. This is horrible. _Shaking her head, Willowstalker told the warriors to wait while she spoke with Sagemoon, Shrewriver, and Brackenpetal.

Brackenpetal reported first. "ShadowClan has ten; Fallenfur, Stripedfang, Onefall, Moonember, Crowdust, Dustsight, Deadleg, Losttooth, Moonstalker, and myself."

Shrewriver went second. "WindClan has ten as well; Clouddawn, Runningbush, Onedust, Berrystone, Seedwhisper, Hawkstone, Lostbranch, Buzzardpelt, Iceheart, and myself."

Sagemoon gave her names third. "RiverClan has ten, too; Patchtear, Dewseeker, Bluelark, Hareleg, Mistystripe, Brokenpool, Ripplethorn, Runningblaze, Sorrelfern, and myself."

Willowstalker went last. "ThunderClan has ten like you. Lightningflame, Stealthbreeze, Slateseer, Wildpath, Spiritheart, Fallingtalon, Russetglow, Jayleap, Shrewember, and myself."

"Does anyone else find it strange that we all have ten warriors with us?" Shrewriver noted, his ears twitching.

Sagemoon shook her head. "Forty in total… There are so many of us…"

Willowstalker flicked her tail towards the cats. "We have to decide who will take control of each Clan. We have a long way to go and I don't know how long we have to get there."

"I think we should be the ones who lead them," Brackenpetal said.

"I don't know," Shrewriver responded. "I think we should let them decide. It's only fair that way."

"And this is why WindClan is weak. You never take control of the situation when you have the chance." Brackenpetal taunted.

Shrewriver stiffened. "If we were so weak, then why was it WindClan warriors were always winning your battles for you?"

"You got lucky," the black-furred warriors hissed.

"Enough, Brackenpetal," Willowstalker ordered. "As much as I hate to admit it, Shrewriver, Brackenpetal might be right. The thing is, the other cats here seem too shaken up to be able to take control of anything. We might be the only ones capable of leading them."

Shrewriver looked around before nodding. "I see what you mean."

"We need to head out." Sagemoon said. "Who wants to get them moving?"

Brackenpetal started to speak up, but Willowstalker interrupted. "I'll do it." She turned her attention to the gathered warriors and said, "Listen up! Brackenpetal, Shrewriver, Sagemoon, and I are going to take the lead. You stick right behind us and don't wander off! If you need something, come get one of us. We'll help take care of it. We're going to start heading out. I don't know how far away the Gates of StarClan are, but something tells me we'll be wandering for a while. Stay positive, and for StarClan's sake, stay together! Let's go!"

Taking her place beside the other three leaders, Willowstalker took a deep breath. Their journey was about to begin.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

At first, the walk seemed too easy to be true. It seemed that their ancestors had laid down a pretty straight-forward trail for them to follow; it was well-lit and surrounded by walls that were impossible to pass through. Brackenpetal had even gone as far as to say, "This isn't much of a test. If they're going to test us, they'll have to do much better than this."

Willowstalker even let herself be lulled into that same sense of security. Maybe their ancestors weren't as mad at them as they'd originally been lead to believe. Maybe this walk would be as simple as following a well-marked, well-walled trial. The group's optimism flared up as the straight path continued, and small conversations began between some of the cats in the group. They were laughing and joking and having what appeared to be a good time, despite the fact they were all dead.

The optimism levels plummeted once they realized their journey wasn't going to be as easy as they thought. They had reached their first trial. The cats were standing on the top of a ledge overlooking a great, white body of water. It looked like the legendary sun-drown-place most of the cats gathered had only heard of, except white, and it seemed to go on forever.

Shrewriver looked down at the white water, watching it crash against the ledge's base. "What do you do now?" He asked.

"We could swim across," Sagemoon suggested.

"What are you, mouse-brained?" Brackenpetal hissed. "No one except the RiverClan warriors will be able to make it across. The other warriors can't swim!"

Sagemoon rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget that others can't swim; it just comes so naturally to me."

Willowstalker sighed and looked over at Brackenpetal. "There's no need to call anyone mouse brain. We'll figure this out…" Willowstalker shook her head and watched the water crashing beneath them. "Sagemoon, gather all of the RiverClan warriors here and have them come meet me here. I think they might be the key to getting across the water, but I don't quiet no what part they have to play yet…And…tell the rest of the group what kind of problem we have here. They all deserve to know."

Sagemoon nodded and ran back to the group. She looked out at the cats gathered. They were still conversing happily. "Hey, everyone, I need your attention." The conversations stopped and they all turned to face her. "So, we have a small problem over there. We've reached what appears to be a sun-drown-place made of white water." Her announcement was met with dead silence and wide eyes. "I need all of the RiverClan warriors here to meet with Brackenpetal, Willowstalker, Shrewriver, and I at the top of the ledge, please. We're going to work out a way to pass this."

Sagemoon turned and trotted back to her place beside the other three leaders. The RiverClan warriors followed. Brackenpetal had settled down onto his stomach and was licking his paws. He kept his gaze on the nine gathering warriors.

Willowstalker took note of each of the warrior's builds. They were slender cats, due to the fact they exercised by swimming almost everywhere they went. However, they were all still well-muscled. They had to be strong to swim against the current of the river. Their furs where slick, shiny, and well-groomed; each cat had the same kind of fur-color, though the color varied in shades.

The RiverClan warriors sat back on their haunches after each taking turns looking at the white sun-drown-place. "What do we need to do?" One of the warriors, a she-cat with sand-colored fur with white stripes on her back – Mistystripe, Sagemoon informed me – asked.

"I'm not entirely sure," Willowstalker responded. "I was hoping one of you might have an idea. You're all more familiar with the water than I am."

Another warrior, this one a tom with surprisingly thin legs, said, "I think the first thing we need to do is figure out who among us can swim."

Brackenpetal glanced at the warrior with a blank stare. "Do you mean to tell me you don't know how to swim?"

"Hareleg was born with unusually small legs for a RiverClan warrior. He's also not strong enough to swim against the current," Sagemoon informed the ShadowClan warrior. "He's the odd-one-out in the Clan. He had retired early from a warrior's career until your Clan invaded and forced him to fight again."

The ShadowClan warrior shook his head and went back to grooming his paws.

"Having a RiverClan warrior that's unable to swim might cause problems." Shrewriver said, giving Hareleg a sideways glance. "I had an idea forming, but if we have cats from the one Clan that can swim that doesn't _know _how to swim, it might not work."

Hareleg immediately rushed to defend himself. "What did you have in mind?"

"Well, first I need to know how much weight each of you can carry in the water, and for how long." Shrewriver said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, it's not going to work." A third RiverClan warrior said. This one was a brown she-cat that looked more red-furred in the sunlight. "My name is Runningblaze," she introduced herself.

"Alright Runningblaze," Shrewriver said, "do you have any ideas as to how to get everyone across the sun-drown-place?"

"We could each take a number of warriors," Runningblaze began, "and teach them how to swim."

"And about those warriors that don't take to the water?" Brackenpetal asked, looking up from his grooming.

"Those one's we can carry on our backs, as long as some of them can take to the water." The RiverClan warrior responded.

"We'll present the idea to the other warriors," Willowstalker said. "Besides, there are too many of us for only ten warriors to take across the sun-drown-place, Shrewriver." She knew what he had been thinking seeing as she's had the same idea. Runningblaze's interruption had reminded Willowstalker there were only ten RiverClan warriors and thirty others. "Runningblaze, will you introduce your idea to all of the other warriors?"

"Of course," Runningblaze agreed, dipping her head respectfully. The four leaders and the long line of warriors followed Runningblaze to where the rest of the cats were gathered. "Attention, warriors!" Runningblaze called, her voice carrying the authority of a leader, "As you all know, we face our first trial! We are at the top of a ledge overlooking a white sun-drown-place. Two ideas have been presented for us to overcome our first large challenge. The first idea, and the most impossible, is for the ten RiverClan warriors to ferry you all across on our backs. That spells certain death for all of us.

"The only other way for us to get everyone else across the sun-drown-place is for you all to learn how to swim." Runningblaze presented the idea as easily as if she were telling an apprentice how to catch their first piece of fresh-kill. The rest of the warriors, however, didn't take it as easily.

"Are you insane?!" A ShadowClan warrior shouted. "That will kill us all that can't swim!" The rest of the warriors shared his views.

Willowstalker started to step forward to present why the idea would work when Brackenpetal stepped in front of her, blocking her path. "If you try anything, the ShadowClan warriors will rip you apart. Allow me," He said. There was no malice in his voice, and this surprised Willowstalker. She dipped her head and respectfully granted his wish. "It is true, Stripedfang, that those of us that can't swim will be killed. That is why we must learn. There is no other way for us to cross the sun-drown-place. Those of you that refuse to learn can stay behind and fade away for all I care. However, as the acting leader of the ShadowClan warriors, I order you to try to learn!"

"That same goes for the WindClan warriors!" Shrewriver said, stepping to Brackenpetal's side. The ShadowClan warrior turned with a wide-eyed glance. He was surprised that the WindClan warrior was the first to back his order.

"And that goes for the ThunderClan warriors as well!" Willowstalker said, taking her place beside the other two. "I won't have anyone fading from existence without saying they at least gave continuing a shot!"

The warriors gathered, afraid of denying their acting leaders, agreed, though they were all still reluctant.

The swimming lessons began.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Sagemoon decided it'd be best if she took Shrewriver, Brackenpetal, and Willowstalker and taught them to swim before anyone else learned. "I think this is best," she explained, "because if your warriors see you, their acting leaders, taking to the water without fear and learning to swim, they'll be more eager to jump in and learn as well." Brackenpetal, though grudgingly, agreed that Sagemoon had the right idea. The warriors would try learning to swim once they saw their leaders trying it first.

So, the RiverClan warrior took the three cats down a thin trail that switchbacked its way down towards the sun-drown-place. Sagemoon decided she would try the water first; she was familiar with the feel of water, and if anything was wrong with the white liquid, she would be able to identify it immediately. The she-cat carefully stepped into the water and walked in up to her belly fur. "It seems alright," she called back. A spray of the water hit her in the mouth. She spat it out instantly. "As long as you don't sallow it."

Shrewriver shrugged and followed Sagemoon into the water. He tensed a little. "It's cold!"

"I suppose it is a little chilly, if you're not used to water. You'll adjust to it soon enough," Sagemoon informed him. "It easier if you get her head wet."

"There is no way…!" Shrewriver began.

Not about to let himself be upstaged by a WindClan warrior, Brackenpetal raced into the water up to his belly fur and dunked his head under. He came back up from the water, spluttering and blinking his eyes. "This water tastes salty! And it burns my eyes!"

Sagemoon laughed. "I told you not to sallow any! And any time you go under, you need to close your eyes."

"Do _you _have to do that?" Brackenpetal asked, coughing up more water.

"Well, no… But…"

"If _you _don't have to do it, _I _don't have to do it." Brackenpetal hissed. "Anything a RiverClan warrior can do, a ShadowClan warrior can do better."

Sagemoon shook her head. "Are you coming, Willowstalker?" The warrior asked the she-cat still standing on the shore. "Your warriors are watching."

Willowstalker turned to see all of the warriors gathering on the beach, watching their acting leaders being introduced to the water for the first time. Taking a deep breath, she followed after the three others and entered the water. She instantly felt her fur gain weight, and the cold of the water chilled her to the bone. Wanting to adjust quickly to the cold, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and dunked the rest of her body under the water. When she came back up, the wind was biting and the salty water dripped into her eyes. However, her body still in the water seemed warmer than it previously had been.

"Welcome to my world, Willowstalker," Sagemoon smiled. "Alright, we don't know how much time we have, so here's what we're going to do. I'm going to teach you three the basic paddle. It'll keep your head above water and propel you forward at the same time. Can you see my legs in the water?"

Willowstalker nodded that she could, and Shrewriver and Brackenpetal gave her confirmation as well. "Than watch closely. The most important part of learning to swim is to not be afraid of the water. All RiverClan kits are taught to swim even before they begin warrior training. It's an inborn evolution that we all have."

"Except for Hareleg, of course." Brackenpetal hissed.

"Hareleg is a special case, Brackenpetal," Sagemoon retorted, her eyes shining with anger. "A simple chant to keep in mind is 'claw-and-kick', always with the opposite paw. If you claw with your right front, kick with your left back." Sagemoon showed the three warriors how it was done. "Then you switch." She did the same motion, but switched sides. "Then you switch." She did it again. "Then you switch. It's that simple.

"All you have to do is not be afraid of the water and relax your stomach and back muscles. It's best if you pretend that you've just leapt at a vole or something right after a really tight crouch. Do you want to give it a try?" Sagemoon said, dropping back to her paws.

"Of course I do!" Brackenpetal shouted, coming forward. He kicked off the ground and started pushing. At first, he seemed to do really well. But after a few moments, he accidently clawed-and-kicked on the same side, lost his balance, and went under. He came up spluttering.

"And that is why we practice in the shallows!" Sagemoon giggled, earning her an angry glare from Brackenpetal.

Shrewriver went next, using the technique Sagemoon had showed them. He did it flawlessly. Brackenpetal was furious, and tried again. Again, he went back under. Willowstalker went last. She let her paws come up from the wet sand beneath her paws, and started using the motion Sagemoon had demonstrated.

"Good, Willowstalker," Sagemoon said. "You have a great form and a good technique. The only thing I noticed is that you seem really tense. Like I said, pretend that you've just pounced on your prey. That's the best way to keep your muscles loose. And keep your breathing even, Willowstalker. We might have a long way to cross with nowhere to stop. You need to keep a steady breathing rhythm if you're going to make it."

Sagemoon turned to Brackenpetal. "Now, Mr. I-Can-Do-Everything-With-Only-Being-Shown-Once, your problem is that your losing your rhythm with the claw-and-kick. You can keep a steady beat for a while, but after that, you lose touch and you claw-and-kick on the same side. That's causing you to lose your balance and tip. Maybe you need another chant to help you…" Sagemoon turned her attention to Brackenpetal.

Shrewriver was practicing flawlessly. He had taken to the water like a RiverClan cat.

Willowstalker left the water and went to the beach. She shook the water from her fur. The one thing she didn't like was the clinging feeling her fur had when it was this wet. It disgusted her. While on the beach, she practiced lowering herself into a tight crouch and leaping up, as if to catch a really quick mouse. She took note of how her muscles were tense in the crouch, but became loose as a spring when she released into the jump.

Russetglow, the russet-colored she-cat that had been Willowstalker's best friend as she had grown up in ThunderClan's camp, came over to her. "Do you really think we can all learn to swim?"

Willowstalker, who had been in mid-crouch, straightened herself out and turned to look at her old friend. "Honestly? No. Not everyone is going to be able to make it past this trial. I'm hoping that those that can't take the water can be carried on the others back's. But in that case, we're risking double the lives. It seems either way we swing this, someone's going to fade."

Russetglow watched Brackenpetal, Sagemoon, and Shrewriver in the sun-drown-place. Both Shrewriver and Sagemoon were trying to show Brackenpetal where he was going wrong, but he was to stubborn, proud, or both to listen to what they were saying.

"I don't want to be the first one to fade," Russetglow whispered, "but I don't know if I can do this, Willowstalker. Water has always terrified me."

Willowstalker understood. Both of Russetglow's parents had been swept away in a river during a fight with the RiverClan warriors. It had been a simple border dispute, but neither of her parents had come back. "I wonder what they're thinking of me now. I shouldn't have been fighting alongside rouges and loners. They must be so disappointed."

"Russetglow, listen to me." Willowstalker said sternly. "No matter what happened back in the Clans, your parents, my parents, everyone's parents, still love us. They're not going to turn their backs on us because we made some mistakes. We are their kits and they love us more than anything, ever since our first yowl."

"I can't believe I'll never get to hear my first kits yowl…" Russetglow whispered.

"Stop it, Russetglow." Willowstalker ordered. "As acting leader, I order you to keep your head out of what could be and keep it with what is. If you don't want to fade, you need to stay focused." The she-cat turned her back and started towards the water. "Once Brackenpetal, Shrewriver, and I have mastered this, it'll be your turn. Be ready."

Willowstalker stepped back into the sun-drown-place and began practicing again, remembering what it felt to have her muscles loosened mid-pounce.

"Brackenpetal, look at Willowstalker! She has the perfect form and perfect technique. It could do you good to watch and learn from her!" Sagemoon said, exasperated.

Willowstalker giggled, but she couldn't help thinking about Russetglow. Though she'd never admit it, she had the same horrible sadness that her family's bloodline had ended with her.


End file.
